Paper Plane
by fu-yuzoras
Summary: Kuroko is an airhead, Akashi assumed, but he doesn't know there's a reason behind his awful grades and clumsy behavior.
1. Chapter 1

**Paper Plane**

 **Kuroko no Basuke belongs to Fujimaki Tadatoshi**

 **001**

The first time he laid his eyes on him, never did he know that he was such a clumsy person; a walking disaster—someone whom he rather not get involved with. _Ever._

"My name is Kuroko Tetsuya. Pleased to meet you, Akashi- _kun._ "

The boy had no extraordinary features; his built was smaller than his, he had a fair—like, a _very_ fair, unblemished skin, and much to his amazement, those depthless, big sky blue eyes of his—a rare color one ever had—boring a hole into his; it was like, from the way he stared unblinkingly at him, he was scanning him thoroughly, and his matching blue hair was somehow a distraction; Akashi thought he would be really easy to spot when he got lost because of his strikingly shiny, weird blue hair that'd surely stand out in the crowd.

And, above all, his face was void of emotions—it was like his facial muscles never twitched in any way; his expression was never changing even for the slightest bit, Akashi could've known it from the moment he opened his mouth.

"The pleasure is all mine." Akashi managed to respond with a small smile. He just hoped he didn't sound sarcastic; he was submitted to this job a little unwillingly, after all. Swiftly, he cocked his head back to the bookshelves, eyes roaming around a bunch of books presented before him as he asked, "So, Kuroko, what subject do you think is hard enough for you to understand?"

"Actually," Kuroko's hesitant, tiny voice brought Akashi's attention back to him, "I can't really understand all of the subjects—but I can make sure I'm exceptionally good at Japanese literature." he exclaimed; his expression remained the same, although Akashi saw him fidgeting, looking a bit unsure.

 _What_? Akashi groaned inwardly. _Really_ _?_ He seemed pretty smart, though, but then again, the way he'd said that he couldn't understand all of the subjects... was a wake up call for him; he couldn't just assume without knowing someone whom he'd just met. And, seriously, did he have to meddle into this boy's studies, like, from today onwards until the exams week had started—which in another word, everyday?

"Alright. How about... we start?"

He actually didn't sign up for this; earlier during the morning practice, his rainbow-haired friends blocked his way with pleading eyes—only Kise, actually—and asked him to be the tutor of their best friend ( _childhood friend,_ Midorima had corrected them), whom Akashi had never seen for even once, because he had such awful grades and Akashi was the only one who could help him with his amazing brain. And he, being Akashi, couldn't reject their hopeful stares, of course, so he was—not so willingly—accepted their request.

And here he was, in the school library, on a drizzly afternoon after the classes had ended—they had been arranged to meet each other after school, and Akashi was glad that his friends weren't coming; they'd only cause troubles rather than helping, with his rainbow-haired friends' supposed best friend trailing after him who was looking for the first year's textbooks—Kuroko was in his first year of high school—while trying to remember the lessons he'd been learning in the past year. It was lucky for him that he was good at remembering something that'd happened.

He wondered, why Midorima wasn't the one they chose to tutor Kuroko; Midorima was one of the smartest students in the school and besides, wouldn't it be easier for Kuroko to be taught by his close friend? Were Kuroko's grades _that_ bad that Midorima had given up on him?

Akashi glanced at Kuroko who, to his surprise, had his eyes on him. His expression was composed; he was born without facial muscles, Akashi presumed. Doubtfully, Akashi's lips moved upwards into a soft smile, as he wasted no time for Kuroko to say something because he'd sharply turned his back on him again, slightly embarrassed upon being caught staring.

But, still, Akashi couldn't stop observing the boy.

He'd noticed that Kuroko, _indeed,_ barely showed any expression, and that Kuroko's balance was a bit... off. He'd stumbled on his own foot several times, dropped the books he was supposed to carry—with Akashi helped him collect them all, and repeatedly bumped into Akashi's back. He was, despite his unchanging expression, surprisingly a clumsy boy.

They ended up sitting in one of the tables near a huge window that was displaying the scenery of the empty school yard, a stack of textbooks piling up in front of them, as they sat next to each other; Kuroko sat by the window, occasionally glancing out to nothing in particular, and Akashi had to wave a hand in front of his face twice to get his attention back; Kuroko got distracted so easily.

Another thing that Akashi had learned about Kuroko, which he hadn't expected at all, that Kuroko was quite... stupid? No, the right word was: he was an airhead, even much more stupid than Aomine. And he wasn't joking _at all._ Judging from his grades that Midorima had shown him earlier, he was simply bad at studying, but Akashi couldn't believe that he was actually _that_ bad. He began to doubt it that Kuroko even studied at home.

"Kuroko, you got it wrong again." Akashi pointed out for the fourth time, and Kuroko looked up to him with an exasperated expression. Really, _he_ should be the one who got exasperated because of _him._ They'd been in the library, learning about Math as the opening of their tutoring session, for about an hour, yet Kuroko still didn't get what he was explaining.

With a monotone voice, Kuroko replied, "But I did what you were asking me to do, Akashi- _kun."_ he was being defensive. "How can I get it all wrong?"

"You should be placing this on this." Akashi moved his mechanical pencil around Kuroko's notes, holding back the urge to let out a loud sigh; sighing in front of someone was rude.

"Ah," Kuroko blinked, "Right. I forgot." he scratched the back of his head, gazing at Akashi sheepishly—albeit Akashi didn't know how he pulled off that kind of expression under his blank mask. "I'm sorry, Akashi- _kun._ "

"How can you forget it when I just explained it to you like a few minutes _ago_?" _How can you be this stupid_? Akashi hadn't meant to be impolite, but the words came out just like that without him intending to. He was afraid that Kuroko would get offended by the hidden meaning in his words, but instead, Kuroko looked at him blankly, unfazed.

"Then, will you explain it once more, Akashi- _kun_? I still don't understand."

Okay, he took back his concern; Kuroko was an airhead, after all, and he wouldn't understand what he tried to imply as much as he _tried_ to make him understand.

Trying to bite back the moan, Akashi repeated his words all over again. He felt like banging his head against the wall.

He only wished he would have much patience left.

For the time being.

With Kuroko around.

 **/**

"Akashi,"

Looking up from his notes quickly, Akashi found a frowning Midorima staring down at him while holding out a handout towards him, "Ryuuhei- _sensei_ asked me to deliver this to you."

"Ah, thank you, Midorima." Akashi offered him a smile, and the other just shrugged nonchalantly.

"It's nothing."

It was lunch break and he'd brought himself to the rooftop with a pile of books, and a _bento._ He didn't have much time to review what Kuroko had to learn at home because he had to do the papers his father had given him, and he also needed to study and did his assignments in order not to make his own grades dropping low. He still had the responsibility to always be the number one, after all.

And so, he spent the rest of his lunch break alone—away from everyone else.

"Anyways, what are you doing _here_?" Midorima asked out of the blue, although he was being a _tsundere,_ Akashi knew he was mildly curious. After all, he usually spent his lunch break with his rainbow-haired friends but now, he decided to eat lunch by himself.

"I'm reviewing all the materials Kuroko has to learn later."

"Oh," the greenhead said, "Thank you for not taking Kuroko lightly. It's not like I care about him or anything, I merely don't want those idiots to whine nonstop if Kuroko failed in the upcoming exams."

Akashi was back scribbling on his notes. "It's fine. I promised you all to help him, so I might as well do my best." he then looked up again, "But, something bothers me, to be honest. Why aren't you the one teaching him? You're one of the smartest people I know in this school. Besides, you're his best friend."

"Childhood friend," Midorima corrected him, looking a bit embarrassed. "Kuroko is special. Only someone like you who can help him."

"That doesn't sound right." Akashi's frown deepened, "And, really, Midorima, are you sure this childhood friend of yours is _really_ already in high school? He is very... how to say this—"

"—stupid?" Midorima finished off for him helpfully, adjusting his glasses as he continued, "Of course he is. Because, whenever he's in his class, he hardly pays any attention to the teachers."

Akashi was surprised at the new information. "And nobody scolds him? Ever?"

"Hmm."

"He should've been dropped out of school."

"Sometimes, Akashi," mumbled Midorima, "things are better left unsaid; some things are meant to be kept as secrets."

"What do you mean?"

Midorima only looked at him for a few seconds, shrugging. "The bell is ringing, we should go back to our classes." he turned on his heels as he bid him a goodbye, "See you later, Akashi."

The loud bell slowly faded into the background, and Akashi was left hanging, _too_ confused of what Midorima had just told him.

Were they keeping a secret from him?

 **/**

Akashi was half-running when he went through a sea of people to the library. He unconsciously took his phone out and looked at the time—he was already thirty minutes late than the time he and Kuroko had agreed to meet up after school. Would Kuroko be mad because of his tardiness? He hoped not. It wasn't like he intended to be late; he had a meeting to attend and he couldn't postpone it just because he should tutor Kuroko, right?

When he slid the library door open, he was greeted by the sound of a loud thud coming from the back of the library, attracting the attentions of the students in there. Curious, as well as concerned that Kuroko would be the one behind that loud sound because after spending time to time with Kuroko, Akashi realized he tended to be clumsier than he had thought, Akashi followed the students that'd made their way toward the source of the commotion, and he was right; Kuroko, indeed, was the source of it—books scattered about around him, and he was sitting on the ground, dazed, but his face remained the same.

"Kuroko?" Akashi's tone betrayed his mind to hide his worry. Quickly, he walked over to him and squatted down in front of him, staring at his dazed expression. "What are you doing? What happened?"

Kuroko, seemingly had come back to his right mind, blinking at Akashi. "I was trying to reach that book," he pointed out to one of the fallen books, "when suddenly, almost all of the books from the shelf fell off."

Akashi frowned. _A walking disaster, indeed._ "Did you hurt yourself?"

"No," but Kuroko winced as he reached for his forehead; there was a fresh cut on it, probably because some books had hit him and he didn't realize it. "Ow."

"Does it hurt?"

"A little. But I'm fine—" Kuroko's words stopped halfway when the tip of Akashi's index finger touched his cut softly. He winced at the contact, but more surprised at Akashi's sudden action than the pain on his forehead. "Akashi- _kun_?"

"You're so reckless." murmured Akashi, _so_ soft that Kuroko thought nobody, despite the crowd that surrounded them, would hear it other than himself. His fingertip brushed past his cut gently, examining it.

"Thank you." Kuroko responded rather too quickly—it didn't come out as a sarcasm as he'd intended, but he was glad that it didn't come out as a stutter; Akashi's face was too close that their lips would meet if any of them made a move and it made his mind go blank.

They stared into each other's eyes for a long minute, before someone—neither of them knew who—let out a cough, making both of them shy away and the redhead quickly got up, feeling stupid of what'd just happened, but he offered his hand to Kuroko, anyway, although his face was turned to the side, obviously avoiding his gaze.

Kuroko took his outstretched hand and was pulled back on his feet as the crowd had slowly gone, murmurs could be heard and he pried his hand away from Akashi's. "Thank you, Akashi- _kun._ " he bent down to retrieve back the fallen books to their place.

"Hmm." was all Akashi's respond before he mirrored Kuroko's movement, again, helping him clear out something his clumsy side had caused.

Kuroko didn't know if Akashi was really kind or he was merely being nice to his friends' friend.

But, even so, he just hoped he would never forget Akashi.

Ever.

 **/**

The squeaking noise made by a chalk on a chalkboard was the only thing that could be heard in Class B. The teacher, who was sitting on her desk, and the students in the room were amazed, _shocked_ even _,_ when Kuroko Tetsuya stood in front of the class as he resolved a math problem. Although he looked as blank as ever, there was a hint of smile on his typically expressionless face.

Of course, who wouldn't get shocked? Kuroko Tetsuya was known for his empty brain; he was repeating a year and was stuck as the oldest among his classmates. He was always in a daze during classes, didn't seem to understand what the teachers were explaining, and also, because of his illness, he couldn't focus well and concentrate on whatever he was doing, causing him to be the stupidest in his class.

"Wow, Kuroko- _kun_! You've improved a lot!" The teacher clapped happily, her smile was so wide that Kuroko thought her lips would rip off in anytime soon.

Smiling slightly, Kuroko bowed, "Thank you, _sensei,"_

"Did you take my suggestion to hire a personal tutor?" she asked in curiosity. Her eyes beaming.

"Yes."

"Who is someone who's capable to make you get better, I wonder?"

A little proudly, Kuroko answered, "Akashi Seijuurou."

Several gasps, whispers, and murmurs were heard when Akashi's name was mentioned, making Kuroko raise an eyebrow. Was Akashi _that_ popular that he caused that kind of reaction when it was only his name that was being mentioned? But, why did he only meet Akashi a few days ago? He wouldn't even have known that there was someone like Akashi if his childhood friends didn't introduce Akashi to him once he asked them to find a tutor for him.

Kuroko only shrugged and decided to go back to his seat when suddenly, his body felt numb. His vision went blurred and everything suddenly became dark for him. His muscles weakened and he would fall on ground, if his classmates weren't quick enough to catch his limp body.

Kuroko lost consciousness.

 **/**

 **a/n:** this is supposed to be a one-shot but I wrote too much words to be considered as a one-shot ;;;;; so I decided to divide it into two or three chapters! I will update it as fast as I can, I promise! and please bear with grammatical errors because English isn't my first language and thank you for reading! ^o^


	2. Chapter 2

**Paper Plane**

 **Kuroko no Basuke belongs to Fujimaki Tadatoshi**

 **002**

The first time Akashi noticed that there was _definitely_ something wrong with Kuroko was when he didn't come to the library for his tutoring session without telling him first, making him wait in the almost empty library for about two hours before he decided to pack his things up and went home, feeling a little agitated because, who knew Kuroko would be safe wherever he was? He was a walking disaster, after all; bad things tended to go near him and it wasn't like he was smart enough to realize it—sometimes, he was the one who attracted all the bad things to come toward him, pulling them close with his clumsiness, and Akashi was— _a bit—_ worried that Kuroko might run into trouble and hurt himself like he usually did.

And, the unusual behavior of the _Kiseki_ the next day was another clue for him that they were, _indeed,_ hiding something regarding Kuroko from him; something that he couldn't tell what, and it made him slightly disappointed. Did they think he wasn't good enough to be told about whatever they were hiding? Kuroko was his _student,_ for God's sake, why did they not tell him? He also had asked them about what happened to Kuroko; why did he not come to school; why nobody told him about Kuroko's absence, and their answer was the same: Kuroko had caught a flu and couldn't make it to school.

But, of course, he didn't believe it so easily—he wasn't _that_ stupid.

And so, when Kuroko showed up two days later in the library, Akashi didn't start their tutoring session right away and instead, staring at him intensely as he asked in a serious tone, "Kuroko, is it true that you caught a flu?"

"Eh?" Kuroko was uncharacteristically caught off guard. His big baby blue eyes stared back at him in slight confusion, before they were reverted back to their typical blank stare. "It's true, Akashi- _kun._ I caught a flu two days ago and my parents didn't allow me to come to school." he replied—somehow, Akashi could hear a tinge of sadness in his monotone voice, but he chose to keep it to himself—as he looked down, pretending to check his notes. "I apologize. Akashi- _kun_ waited for me, didn't he?"

 _Lie._ Akashi could see the way Kuroko avoided his eyes was obviously because he was lying. He breathed out before he shook his head—even though he knew Kuroko wouldn't see it. "It's okay," he said softly, and Kuroko looked up to him again, "Are you fine now?" _Are you hurt somewhere?_

"I'm fine now." Kuroko gave him a small, reassuring smile, which could barely be seen if Akashi didn't pay his attention on him. "I'm just a bit tired."

"If so, you should just go home, we can reschedule our tutoring session next time." Akashi suggested, and this time, Kuroko was the one who shook his head.

"No," he quickly answered, "It's fine, Akashi- _kun._ I want to get higher marks in the upcoming exams. So, I have to work hard."

Akashi just sighed and decided to give him a nod; arguing with Kuroko was pointless—he would have many ways to retort back, and he thought, maybe, _just maybe,_ he would find what secret they were hiding after this.

Their tutoring session ended two hours later, when the sun was almost setting; Akashi had to admit that whenever he was with Kuroko, he didn't get to check time because it was rather enjoyable—although Kuroko was pissing him off most of the time; he kept on asking him to repeat what he just explained because he said he didn't fully understand, and he, too, was in a daze and spacing out all the time if Akashi didn't poke his cheek repeatedly—but overall, he enjoyed Kuroko's company because he was somewhat able to make him feel better even if he was the one who angered him in the first place.

"So, Kuroko, what did you get from our lesson today?"

Arranging the textbooks on the table, Akashi glanced at a deadpanned Kuroko, "I got that Chemistry isn't supposed to be learned at all." he said matter-of-factly as he slung his bag over his shoulder, which made Akashi frown, so he quickly added, "But thanks to you, Akashi- _kun._ It doesn't seem to be that hard anymore."

Akashi, still frowning at him, didn't believe him, of course, but he let the topic drop; after spending time to time with Kuroko, he somehow had gotten used to him already. His first impression about him being unfazed of the things that happened around him was _totally_ wrong. Kuroko, behind his expressionless mask, definitely had a lot of expressions Akashi managed to notice every now and then. And he, too, despite his quiet nature, could be really stubborn if he wanted to. There were times they argued about this and _that,_ and Akashi was taken aback at how those words coming from the usually composed Kuroko; how he was capable to utter more that a few words.

They walked together through the empty hallways. It was 6P.M., and the skies were already dark. There were no students in sight—Akashi was able to borrow the library key from the library committee by his power as the Student Council President—so, dead silence enveloped between them; neither of them was a chatterbox like Kise, and besides, they had nothing to talk about other than Kuroko's studies, anyway, as they weren't exactly friends; they were only a tutor and his student. And also, Kuroko was pretty much in his little own world, staring dazedly out the window; he tripped on his own leg two or three times, as Akashi had counted, lost his balance and bumped into him, and Akashi didn't know how to make him stop being _that_ clumsy, or at least make him try to walk properly without tripping and almost falling because of his own stupidity.

They were still quiet during their walk toward the bus stop, even when both of them had sat side by side, waiting for their bus. Akashi had told his chauffeur that he'd be using public transportation and he wouldn't need a ride back, as he would be by home late, and when he learned that their houses were located in the same direction, they decided to just go together.

A gentle breeze brushed past Akashi's cheeks, and he decided to start a small talk; the awkward silence between them suddenly became unbearable. "Kuroko has to study really hard." he mumbled, but loud enough for Kuroko to hear, as the latter snapped his head to him, slightly looking up due to their height differences.

"Did Akashi- _kun_ just imply that I'm _so_ stupid and I need to study really hard even though I _have_ studied harder than anyone?" he deadpanned.

Instead of getting offended, Akashi let out a low chuckle. "I'm not saying that, you know. You said it yourself." he softened as Kuroko's expression showed that he was frowning. "But, Kuroko has indeed worked hard; he gets better than the last time. Congratulations."

"Is Akashi- _kun_ teasing me?" muttered Kuroko, "Either way, it's because Akashi- _kun_ teaches me that I'm improving quite a bit. Akashi- _kun_ is a great teacher."

Akashi didn't have time to answer when their bus came, stopping in front of them. Quickly, they got up and hopped onto it. There were only a few people on the bus, and they took the seats in the back rows, with Kuroko sat by the bus window; it strangely had been their unspoken rule than Kuroko had to sit by the window. Akashi didn't know how did it happen; it just happened that way.

"Am I?" Akashi asked once they had sat down, intending to continue their previous talk.

Again, with those unwavering blue-hued eyes, Kuroko replied, "Yes. It'll be easy to understand if Akashi- _kun_ is the one who teaches it."

"Why, thank you," Akashi looked away, a faint blush coloring his cheeks for the reason he couldn't figure out why. Perhaps it was because of the cold air-conditioner?

"And, Akashi- _kun,_ " Kuroko's cheerful voice—which shocked Akashi that he had to look over to Kuroko again and found a smiling Kuroko; he got even more shocked at the sight—ringing beautifully in his ears, " _Sensei_ also said I got better and better. Again, thanks to you, Akashi- _kun._ If it's not because of Akashi _-kun,_ I won't be able to look at my textbooks differently."

Akashi was frozen.

Kuroko's small, yet sincere smile was so beautiful that he couldn't tear his eyes away; _too_ mesmerized to even utter a single word.

What was this? Why did his heart beat faster? What have Kuroko done to him?

What was wrong with his feelings?

 **/**

"You're fine, Akashi- _kun._ Nothing's wrong with your body."

Fourth period; the teacher couldn't teach his class because of personal reasons and so, it was free class for him and his classmates, and instead of studying by his own like he always did whenever the teachers couldn't come, Akashi went to the school clinic instead, in attempt to check his body which had shown weird symptoms lately—especially when Kuroko was around, or when the thoughts of him popped up his mind. He was sure there was something wrong with him, but why did the doctor tell him he was fine? He absolutely _was_ not fine.

"No, _sensei,_ there must be something wrong with my body." Akashi insisted, "You haven't checked me thoroughly. How do you come up with such conclusions?"

The doctor looked at Akashi with a smile, "Akashi- _kun,_ you're fine. I can make sure of it."

"If I'm fine, then why is my heart unusually beating faster than usual?" Akashi was still couldn't take her words positively, "And I think I'm not acting like myself, either. I keep on making a fool of myself, I think? I can't even focus on anything and do something properly. _I'm_ definitely not _me."_

"Hmm, do you like someone, Akashi- _kun?"_

"What?"

"Then, you're not sick at all, Akashi- _kun."_ her smile grew wider when she saw Akashi's flustered expression. "It's the stage where someone in your age will go through, and it is called: falling in love."

"Falling in love?" A blush crept on to his face, "This can't be true. I'm not even seeing anyone. You must be wrong, _sensei."_

The doctor laughed, "Indeed, you're falling in love, Akashi- _kun."_

Akashi was about to retort because, was she joking? He didn't even like anyone. He _never_ liked anyone _that_ way... right? But he closed his mouth shut again when a few students rushed into the clinic, indicating that something had happened—probably someone had fainted, and the doctor threw him an apologetic smile before she ran toward them; a curtain separated them and him, and he couldn't careless about what was happening because he was trying to sort out his mind.

 _Falling in love? Him? With who?_

"God, how does this happen again? Wasn't he in this state, too, a few days ago? And I thought he hasn't been through this state again since two months ago?"

He heard the doctor's panic voice from the other side of the room, and Akashi sighed, trying to block the commotions near him with covering his ears using his hands. But, still, even though he tried to not eavesdrop on their conversation, he still could hear it clearly.

"Yes, Kuroko- _kun_ collapsed again, just like two days ago. It seems like he hasn't recovered from his illness."

Akashi was surprised upon hearing it.

 _Kuroko? Collapse? What illness? Wait, what?_

Quickly, he got up from his bunk and pulled open the curtain, only to find the doctor and a few students looked at him in confusion. He ignored their stares and asked in slight panic, because this was _Kuroko_ they were talking about; the clumsiest person he ever met. "Where is Kuroko?"

"His parents brought him to the hospital a few minutes ago." The doctor said helpfully, "Are you his friend, Akashi- _kun_?"

 _Hospital? Kuroko? What actually happened?_

"Akashi- _kun_?"

"What happened?" Akashi asked again, trying to calm himself down, "To Kuroko, I mean."

"He lost his consciousness." A black-haired girl answered for him. "He is our classmate. He suddenly collapsed and our homeroom teacher called his parents after that."

Akashi was taken aback by the information.

"His parents quickly came and they took Kuroko- _kun_ to the hospital," The doctor then continued, noticing Akashi's confusion. "His classmates came here to inform me about it and—"

Akashi was no longer listening to the doctor's words, or the loud bell signaling the end of the fourth period, or Kuroko's classmates who threw him confused looks before they hurriedly went out the clinic to change their class.

He knew that something was wrong with Kuroko, but, was it because he was sick? And, again, why hadn't he or his friends told him about it? Was it the secret they were hiding from him; that Kuroko was sick? Was it the meaning of Midorima's words from the other day? What sickness? And why were they keeping it from him?

They were so going to answer all the things Akashi was curious about. _Soon._

 **/**

After what he'd heard about Kuroko yesterday, there were many questions Akashi had intended to ask the rainbowheads; what sickness Kuroko actually had; why did they hide such thing from him; why didn't they tell him about that, and the other why's and what's to ease all the hard feelings in his chest, but when he looked for them in their classes yesterday—they had no practice on that day—each of them had left and no one knew where they were going to go—probably the hospital Kuroko was admitted to?

Akashi was slightly pissed because, did they have to leave him out just because he wasn't their childhood friend? Wasn't he their friend as well, although he'd just been in their friend circle not too long? And, he was also Kuroko's personal tutor; they shouldn't have done that to him because as his tutor, he, too, was worried— _a little—_ about Kuroko's condition; he didn't know if his sickness was bad enough or not, either.

And now, after the teacher had left his class, Akashi quickly ran to the locker room, hoping that the rainbowheads hadn't gone home yet and ran away from him. _Again._ He quickly changed his shoes and waited for them to show up, pretty sure that he would catch them this time—he had come out from his class earlier than anyone, after all.

A long minute had passed and just like he had predicted, footsteps were heard from afar and not long after, he saw his friends, sweating, looking at him in utter disbelief. He only folded his hands across his chest, demanding an answer with his eyes; he knew they understood what he was referring to.

"Err, hi, Akashi _cchi_!" Kise was the first one to speak up. "Are you, uh, waiting for us?"

Akashi stared at them. "What do you think, Kise?"

"But, we have no practice today?" Aomine piped in, causing Akashi to deadpan.

"No, I'm not here for it, Aomine." he sighed, "Care to tell me what actually happened to Kuroko? You're keeping something from me, aren't you?"

Even though they'd known that Akashi would eventually ask them about Kuroko's condition, still, they were surprised that it would be _that_ soon; the news about Kuroko lost his consciousness so suddenly must've been a hot news for the whole school to talk about that Akashi, who didn't gossip, heard it.

Midorima pushed up his glasses, looking at a frowning Akashi before he turned his attention on his childhood friends as he said, "I think we have to tell about it to Akashi."

The other rainbowheads, excluding Akashi who only raised an eyebrow in confusion, even Murasakibara who'd stopped eating, were startled at Midorima's words.

"But, Midorima _cchi_!"

"Tetsu said to keep it as a secret to Akashi, didn't he?"

"But, Aka- _chin_ will eventually know about it, though~"

"Murasakibara is right." Midorima looked at Akashi again, who stared back at him in return, "Akashi will know about it with or without us telling him. So, might as well just tell him the truth."

"Are you sure, Midorima _cchi_?" A nod from the greenhead had Kise pulled Akashi by his wrist, "Then, let's go, Akashi _cchi_!"

Perplexed, Akashi didn't follow after Kise that easily. "Wait, where are we going?"

"If you want to meet Kuroko _cchi,_ then come with us!"

Upon hearing Kuroko's name, Akashi, unhesitatingly, followed them to the outside of their school, and hopped on to a black car, which he assumed as Kise's, as the car dashed off quickly. He was curious, glad, and nervous at the same time. He wanted to ask them all the questions he'd prepared to ask—first was about Kuroko's condition—but when he saw their nervous expressions, that he didn't know why, Akashi kept his mouth close, thinking to find the right timing to ask them regarding his curiosity, and instead, he texted his chauffeur to not pick him up as he would go home with his friends.

Twenty minutes later, Kise's car stopped in the parking lot of the huge hospital, and without wasting time, they got out of the car and quickly dragged Akashi in with them. Akashi was still confused, and nervous, but none of them spoke so he let himself be dragged into the elevator, with Midorima pressed the eleventh button of the elevator swiftly.

When they arrived in front of a room number 1511, Akashi could vaguely hear Kuroko's voice from the inside, most likely speaking to his parents, asking them to bring him home, and he got startled when Midorima tapped his shoulder lightly before he opened the room, revealing a pale Kuroko in his hospital gown, sitting on his bed with a small smile on his face upon seeing their arrival.

"Hello, _minna-san—_ umf!"

"Kuroko _cchi_!"

"Tetsu, you woke up!"

"Kuro- _chin_ already woke up~"

Kuroko couldn't even finish his sentence when Kise ran to hug him; Aomine followed Kise's movement, and Murasakibara drew the three into a bear hug, while Midorima—with a relieved face—only shrugged at their antics. Kuroko's parents were laughing in the background.

Akashi, too, was relieved to see Kuroko in good shape. A little too quickly, he made his way toward Kuroko's bed and pushed the rainbowheads away from him, "You'll suffocate him to death." he said sternly, and Kise whined upon being separated from Kuroko, but he ignored him; he only focused on Kuroko, face was softening as he greeted him in a soft voice, "Kuroko."

"Hello, Akashi- _kun,_ I don't know you'll come here." Kuroko was unusually smiling a lot—Akashi thought that he must've knocked his head on the wall. His eyes went bigger, eyes beaming as he looked to Akashi's side. "Wow, what a pretty unicorn you bring here, Akashi- _kun_."

 _What?_

Akashi, confused, looked around him. _I don't even bring anything_!

 _And, seriously, a unicorn?_

"Is that for me? Do they actually let you bring it in? How do you even manage to take it in? It's seriously pretty, Akashi- _kun._ "

Akashi froze.

He quickly turned his head toward his friends who, to his surprise, looked back at him with sad smiles.

He knew that there must be something wrong on Kuroko.

But, even so, he hadn't thought about the consequences of having Kuroko suffered from his illness.

 **/**

 **a/n:** I'm so sorry for the late update because school kept me away from my laptop and also please forgive me for the crappy chap and grammatical errors, I seriously didn't even know what did I write ;-; thank you very much for the reviews, favs and follows! I really appreciated them! ^o^

 **Special thanks for** _Akakuro Seiya, ShinseiShinwa, BlueSkyBlue, Q, Rinfantasy,_ _Chisato Morohiko, Kuroko-SenPaille, Guest, EchizenRyoma, simsimchocolatte, Danny Joey Ketail, and_ _Grace_!

 **footnotes:** Yes, Kuroko is sick, the detail about his illness will be explained in the next chapter/the last chapter! And no, BlueSkyBlue-san, he doesn't have ADHD ^^

Thank you so much for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**Paper Plane**

 **Kuroko no Basuke belongs to Fujimaki Tadatoshi**

 **003 — Sleeping Beauty**

He would've admitted that he was surprised—he couldn't even open his mouth, and instead, staring at Kuroko unblinkingly; trying to register what had just happened.

Was Kuroko joking?

Did Kuroko lie to him?

Did he, and his friends, purposely making fun of him?

If so, it wasn't funny _at all._

"What—"

Before he could even voice out his confusion, Midorima and Aomine were already standing beside him, grabbing on to his arms as they dragged him out of Kuroko's room, and he, even more surprised at the sudden movement, tried to release himself from their tight grip, but instead of releasing him, they kept on dragging him away. Vaguely, after they were outside Kuroko's room, he heard Kuroko's tiny voice asking Kise and Murasakibara to not take Akashi away from him, before he let himself be dragged out by Midorima and Aomine to God-knew-where. He was curious as to why they did that to him, but he considered it as his chance to ask them about Kuroko.

It was when they removed their hands from him did Akashi realize that Midorima and Aomine had taken him out to the hospital garden. He noticed that they weren't many people walking around the garden, as it was almost evening, and it was quiet—none of them dared to speak up first.

Then, _finally,_ after a long minute, Midorima cleared out his throat, "So, Akashi," he said, and Akashi looked up when his name was being called out, "Please, just forget what Kuroko just said."

Akashi opened his mouth, about to say something, but the words wouldn't come out. He had so many things to ask; to say, but he didn't know where he should start first. Instead, he could only utter a "Why?", which caused Aomine to groan out loud.

"Honestly," Aomine muttered, "We don't even know how to explain this to you."

Akashi only stared at him, but he didn't say anything.

"Kuroko's only imagining things," Midorima continued, "He's always like that; don't take his words seriously."

"What's happening to Kuroko?" Akashi finally responded.

The aura around them changed when Midorima and Aomine stayed silent, refusing to answer Akashi's question, making Akashi frown.

"You won't even tell me?"

Midorima, couldn't take the heavy aura around them any longer, exchanging glances with Aomine, before he pushed up his glasses and said, "He suffers from a rare disease that makes him hard to concentrate. At times, he tends to imagining things, hallucinating, and sometimes, he gets depressed when he wakes up." he sighed before he continued, "Kuroko is suffering from Kleine-Levin syndrome, or also known as Sleeping Beauty syndrome."

Akashi's head quickly turned in the green head's direction, too surprised to even react, or even blink, as Aomine added helpfully, "You must know what it is, Akashi."

Of course, Akashi knew.

It was a rare sleep disorder. Usually, people around the ages of 8 and 12 were the ones who suffered from it. Or males. But, it was _very_ rare; only one in a million, and Akashi couldn't believe that Kuroko was one of them—it was just unbelievable. If it was happening to a kid, it could be cured, but Kuroko wasn't a kid anymore; he was already 17, and Akashi wasn't even sure if Kuroko could be cured; if it would _ever_ get away from him.

"The last time he was in his episode, he slept for almost four months. Then, after that, he never had his episodes again, not until the last two months and recently." Midorima explained again after Akashi showed no reaction, "A few days ago, Kuroko slept at 11A.M, and he woke up again the next day, at 1A.M. His parents had told him not to come to school, but he insisted on going to school because he didn't want you, Akashi, to get disappointed in him because he didn't come to the library again." he stopped, eyeing Akashi who looked up at him, listening to his words attentively, "The next day—which was two days ago, he went to sleep again during the fourth period, and he just woke up today—an hour ago, before we came here."

Akashi was still quiet; he was at a loss for words.

"Tetsu is our childhood friend; we basically grew up together." he heard Aomine sigh, "Ever since we were young, the five of us had always been together. Everywhere; everytime. He's our little brother."

"And one day, something happened to Kuroko," said Midorima, "The symptoms that indicated him suffering from Kleine-Levin syndrome appeared, and since then, he wasn't allowed to get out of his house if it weren't for school, in case he fell asleep somewhere we didn't know." he paused for a moment, "We thought he'd fully cured after his episodes didn't come again in two months prior, so he was admitted to our school—although his grades were bad and he couldn't fully concentrate in his studies, he was so happy to get to attend school again."

Now, Akashi knew why he'd never seen Kuroko before even though he was friends with his childhood friends, it wasn't because he wasn't aware of his surroundings; it was because Kuroko was a new student and his presence was drown in a sea of people.

"And, you know what, Akashi," Aomine's words brought him back to the reality, "After he met you, he's always talking about you. Kise is jealous because all Tetsu talks about is you now."

"Why so?" Akashi asked in croaky voice, again, surprised. How many times had he got surprised because of Kuroko lately?

Midorima answered, "Because 'Akashi- _kun_ is admirable'."

"And 'is more patient that Midorima- _kun'._ " Aomine added, smirking at Midorima who glared at him.

Akashi wanted to let out a chuckle. But, _no,_ not now. Not when he'd just learned about Kuroko's condition. He didn't even know if he could face Kuroko after this—could he even smile at him after hearing about what happened to him?

"We already answered your confusion, right, Akashi?" Midorima asked, and Akashi only stared at him before he nodded quietly.

 **/**

When he paid a visit to Kuroko the next day, it was already evening. He, as the Student Council President, had a meeting to attend and it ended at 6p.m . He didn't actually intend to visit him, as he didn't want to disturb him, but his heart told him to do so—he had to admit that he wanted to see Kuroko again, though.

And so, as he stood in front of Kuroko's room, he was contemplated whether to open the door or just go back home. He doubted it that Kuroko would even welcome him; they weren't even friends in the first place.

He stopped musing when the door was opened, revealing a surprised Kuroko after seeing him, still in his hospital gown, before his face was back to its usual deadpan expression.

"Hello, Akashi- _kun,_ you're coming again today." Kuroko greeted him, and Akashi awkwardly nodded in response. "Why didn't you come back here after Midorima- _kun_ and Aomine- _kun_ dragged you out yesterday?"

"Oh," Akashi blinked, slightly taken aback by the question, "I apologize. My father asked me to go home yesterday." Lie. He didn't know how to face Kuroko yesterday that he decided to just go home.

Kuroko's mouth formed an 'O', indicating that he didn't notice Akashi's hesitant voice, and completely believed him.

Akashi, trying to change the subject, asked, "Where do you want to go?"

"Rooftop. I want to do something." Kuroko responded matter-of-factly, showing him a paper bag which was consisted of a stack of origamis and pens.

Akashi raised an eyebrow at that, "For what?"

Kuroko thought for a moment, "I will tell you if you go with me."

"Erm, sure."

As they were making their way to the rooftop side by side, Kuroko's shoulder rubbed against Akashi's, causing Akashi to look down at him, only to find Kuroko's confused expression as he looked around him, "Akashi- _kun,_ you're not bringing your unicorn again?" he asked, and Akashi widened his eyes slightly.

"Uh, no." he answered hesitantly, as he wasn't even expecting Kuroko's question at all.

"Why?"

Akashi shrugged, deciding to say what was on his mind, "It's sleeping now."

"Oh," Kuroko nodded, "Can I know what is its name?"

Akashi put his hand inside his pocket, thinking for a few seconds, and finally said, "Yukimaru, I think?"

"What a fitting name,"

"Huh?"

"Its white color indeed reminds us of snow."

Akashi didn't know how to reply, so he just nodded, opting to go along with Kuroko instead of trying to break his heart with telling him that he was just hallucinating. Midorima had said that it wasn't a weird thing anymore if Kuroko was imagining things, after all.

They climbed the stairs leading up to the rooftop in silence, neither of them wanted to break the silence; they both didn't know how to start the conversation first.

It was when they almost reached the door that led to the roof, Kuroko spoke out of the blue, "Midorima- _kun_ and Aomine- _kun_ told you, didn't they?"

If Akashi was drinking something, he would've choked on his drink. "What?"

"About me." Kuroko gave him a small, yet bitter smile. "Those guys couldn't even keep their promise, huh?"

"They're just worried about you." Akashi managed to say, but Kuroko only stared at him blankly.

"They _always_ are."

Kuroko walked ahead of him when they were already in the rooftop, while Akashi's eyes followed his every movement, afraid that Kuroko would do something that'd hurt himself. A cold breeze gently brushed past his uncovered skin, causing him to shiver a little, but when he saw Kuroko unaffected by the cold night even though he only wore his hospital gown, Akashi didn't feel thatcold anymore.

Putting his paper bag down swiftly, Kuroko stood in front of a white fence that enclosed the whole rooftop, breathing in the fresh air, and Akashi followed suit, standing beside him, watching him close his eyes for a second before he looked away, staring at the view of Tokyo at night from the hospital rooftop—it was beautiful.

"Akashi- _kun_?" Kuroko suddenly called out for him. His voice was so soft; if he hadn't paid attention to him, he wouldn't have heard it.

"Yes?" Akashi turned his head to look at Kuroko who was already looking at him with an unreadable expression.

"Do you think I can be cured?"

If Akashi wasn't expecting Kuroko's question about unicorn at all _,_ he wasn't even expecting him ask about his conditon—he didn't even understand why Kuroko would talk about it with him. Taking a deep breath, he replied, "Of course, Kuroko."

"When?"

"...as soon as possible...?" Akashi realized he sounded hesitant, and from the way Kuroko frowned behind his expressionless mask, he must've noticed it, too.

"Why do you sound so unsure about it? Aren't you really smart?"

"But I'm not a doctor."

Kuroko, much to Akashi's surprise, chuckled softly.

"What now?" Akashi sternly asked. Although he liked to see Kuroko laugh, he wouldn't let him laugh if it was him he was laughing at. Was he even saying something funny?

"Nothing." Kuroko smiled, looking away from him.

Akashi hadn't gotten used to Kuroko's sudden changes of mood. Awhile ago, he was completely expressionless, as if he couldn't careless about everything that happened around him, but now, he looked so happy as though he was the happiest boy alive.

"You know, Akashi- _kun,_ it's so frustrating to be me." Kuroko's words had Akashi focused on him thoroughly, "I can't even remember the times before my episodes came; what had happened to people around me when I was sleeping—did I miss a lot of things?"

Akashi could hear the hidden sadness in his voice, but he didn't interrupt him, as he knew Kuroko still wanted to say something.

"Just like a few months ago, when I woke up after one of my episodes came, I was surprised to see my childhood friends wearing their high school uniforms. And, I was even more surprised when I realized it wasn't only them who are already in high school, I'm also supposed to be in the same year as theirs." Kuroko exclaimed, and Akashi felt sympathized with him. It must be hard for Kuroko, forgetting about something he'd been through. "What's left in my memory is only about my childhood—our childhood. Guess I'm so stupid that I can't even remember anything aside from it, huh?"

Kuroko's face looked so sad, and Akashi couldn't take it anymore; he didn't like to see Kuroko sad. "Tell me one of your childhood stories." he said, causing Kuroko to look back at him, deadpanned, but also a bit startled.

"I don't know Akashi- _kun_ is curious about those kind of thing."

"Just tell me."

Kuroko looked thoughtful, but then, he opened his mouth; there was a hint of smile on his face, "It was when we were in 3rd grade, we played in the neighborhood park and Kise- _kun_ suddenly peed his pants."

"Kise? Seriously?" Akashi was surprised at the new information, because, it was the cool model Kise Ryouta, peeing his pants?

"Yes, Kise- _kun._ " Kuroko nodded, slightly amused at Akashi's disbelief look. "And then, Aomine- _kun_ bullied Kise- _kun_ until he started crying, while Midorima- _kun_ and I were only watching from afar because we didn't want to mingle into their meaningless acts, and Murasakibara- _kun,_ as usual, eating and eating like there was no tomorrow." he chuckled softly at the memories, and Akashi, too, couldn't help but chuckle along with him upon hearing his rare laughter. His eyes focused on him all the time, seemingly couldn't look away even for a moment. "Not long after that, our mothers came one by one and Kise- _kun_ bawling his eyes out, wanting to be pitied, and Aomine- _kun_ tried to—" he paused, biting his lip, as if he was holding in something, before he continued, "He tried to—hoam," a yawn escaping his slightly quivering lips, breaking off his words mid-sentence. His face fell in a split second, and he looked away, didn't want to meet Akashi's gaze; too embarrassed that he couldn't hold back his yawn in front of him. A sad smile making its way on his lips as he looked across the beautiful view of Tokyo presented before them, staring off into the distance.

Akashi noticed Kuroko's sad, tired face, and his heart was squeezed in a painful way because both of them knew, that it was a sign for Kuroko; a sign that he'd be back to sleep for a long, long time in anytime soon. Still locking his gaze on Kuroko's side profile, which he had to admit was way too pretty for a boy, he decided to open his mouth, trying to distract Kuroko from whatever he was thinking. "Ah, Kuroko hasn't told me what he wants to do here, has he?"

Kuroko's face instantly lightened up. "I want to make a paper airplane."

"What for?"

"Whenever I'm awake, I take that opportunity to write down my wishes on origamis, and I'll fold them into paper airplanes." Kuroko explained, slowly squatting down, reaching out for his paper bag and began to taking out a stack of origamis and pens he'd brought.

Akashi, too, squatted down in front of him, "And then?"

Looking up to Akashi, Kuroko said, "Then, I'll toss them out of the window to see them fly higher and farther, in hopes that God will grant my wishes."

Really, Kuroko kept on exceeding his expectations. Even though he was an airhead and the clumsiest boy he'd ever met in his life, Kuroko always managed to surprise him with everything he did.

Taking an origami Kuroko offered to him, Akashi watched him write down something on a blue-colored origami. "What do you write, Kuroko?" he curiously asked.

Kuroko was still writing when he murmured, "I wish for everyone's health; may the ones I love will always be happy, and..." he suddenly stopped writing and looked up; his eyes boring intensely into his, but Akashi noticed there was sadness on them, "...I hope I won't forget you, Akashi- _kun._ "

Akashi was speechless.

He still couldn't take his eyes away from Kuroko who was folding his origami into a paper airplane before he got up, staring up again while holding his paper airplane. Awkwardly, Akashi folded his own paper airplane and got up, too, and when he had stood next to him, Kuroko tossed his paper airplane in the air, with Akashi followed his movement after, and they watched them flying farther and farther until they were being swallowed by the darkness.

"What does Akashi- _kun_ wish for?" Kuroko opened his mouth after a minute of silence.

"I wish for your happiness." Akashi said without any hesitation, looking straight at Kuroko's wide blue eyes.

Now, Kuroko was the one who was speechless.

He didn't blush, Kuroko was sure of it. But, _just in case,_ he turned his face away from Akashi, pretending to be immersed by the cityscape, even though his heart skipped a beat for no reason.

"When Kuroko is sleeping, is he dreaming of something?" Akashi asked in a low, soft tone all of a sudden, which he quickly regretted; it was such a sensitive topic, how stupid of him. He failed to take back his words, when Kuroko's head snapped to the side, allowing himself to be devoured by those depthless, beautiful baby blue eyes, that looked at him in such a way that'd made his heart soar. Again, that strange feelings bubbling up inside of him whenever Kuroko was around; something he couldn't get the right word to name.

"Why does Akashi- _kun_ ask?" Kuroko asked back, narrowing his eyes. He was rather curious than annoyed at Akashi's question.

Shrugging, Akashi answered without wavering, "I just want to know." _If you were to sleep, will you dream of_ _me? So_ _that you'll not forget about my existence once you're waking up again._

This time, Kuroko turned his head away again, staring up to the wide, dark sky as he responded, "I didn't quite remember well, but I think I _did_ dream," his hands reached out to hold the hard fence firmly, "Because it must be lonely for me, sleeping for a long time with only darkness accompanying me. I'd be very much thankful if I really was dreaming during those times."

Akashi didn't know how he even did it; all he remembered was Kuroko's sad face that'd made his heart hurt, that he didn't even realize he had inched his face closer toward Kuroko, pressing his lips against Kuroko's cold ones, feeling his quick breaths blow in his face as he closed his eyes. Perhaps it was because the overwhelming feelings he felt when Kuroko was showing his sadness and he had the urge to brush away the sad expression on Kuroko's face?

When Akashi realized what he'd done, he quickly pulled away, blushing, and his eyes widened when he took in the sight in front of him; Kuroko, _the expressionless Kuroko Tetsuya,_ turned beet red—his eyes were as wide as his, and he seemed to be really surprised. He even stuttered as he said, "A-Akashi- _kun_?"

Akashi looked down, covering his face with both of his hands; too embarrassed to face Kuroko. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to." he whispered, "I didn't even know what have I done. I'm sorry, Kuroko."

Kuroko, too stunned, could only nod. His heart was beating madly. "I-It's fine. I'm just... surprised."

After that, it was completely silent.

Akashi was still feeling embarrassed, burying his reddening face in his hands, while Kuroko was nervously glancing at him repeatedly, still couldn't register what'd just happened. They didn't know whose heart was thumping louder; was it Kuroko's? Or Akashi's?

Peeling his hands off his face, Akashi felt a tug on his shirt, and found a nervous Kuroko blinking up at him. Startled, and as nervous as himself, he gave him a questioning look, "Hmm?"

"When I wake up again," Kuroko started, fidgeting, "Will you promise me to take me to Kyoto?"

"Why Kyoto?" Akashi asked back, confusion was written all over his face, as he unconsciously leaned closer.

Kuroko was unusually looking shy as he exclaimed, "Midorima- _kun_ said it's Akashi- _kun's_ hometown and he grew up there, so I want to go to the place where Akashi- _kun_ grew up."

"Alright." Akashi agreed, couldn't hide his smile any longer.

"Really? Promise?"

"I promise."

Kuroko was suddenly standing on his toes, his nose softly nudged against Akashi's, making Akashi blush quietly because of their close proximity. With a tender voice, Kuroko asked again, "Will Akashi- _kun_ be waiting for me?"

Without he even realized, he'd nodded quickly. His voice was as tender as Kuroko's as he replied, "Always."

They stared into each other's eyes, smiling at one another. Then, simultaneously, they looked up, watching as the sky slowly getting darker and darker. Gently, Akashi took Kuroko hand into his, and he couldn't stop smiling when Kuroko entwined their fingers together, as though he wouldn't want to let go of him; wouldn't want them to be separated.

A few minutes had passed, Akashi felt something heavy lay on his shoulder. He quickly glanced to the side and smiled softly at the sight.

Kuroko had slept with his cheek pressed against Akashi's shoulder.

 **/**

When the door of Kuroko's room was opened, the four of them, as well as Kuroko's parents, were seen relieved as Akashi, with a sleeping Kuroko on his back, walked in with an apologetic smile on his face. Murasakibara quickly helped him placing Kuroko on his bed, while Midorima had already called his father, who was the doctor in the hospital Kuroko was admitted to, to come to Kuroko's room as fast as he could.

Akashi politely bowed at Kuroko's parents, "I apologize for taking Kuroko away without your permission."

"It's okay, Akashi- _kun,_ " Kuroko's mother said, chuckling softly, "We're just worried because we thought Tetsuya went alone."

Before he could even reply, Midorima came in with his father and a nurse. Midorima's father quickly checked on Kuroko's condition with the nurse's help.

" _Sensei,_ does his episode come again?" Kuroko's father asked, and everyone in the room waited for his answer anxiously.

"I think so." Midorima's father said, causing them to take a sharp breath.

"How long will this episode last?"

"According to Kuroko- _kun's_ last episode, this may be longer than usual."

After Midorima's father had examined Kuroko's body, he asked his parents to come with him to his room, probably talking about something regarding his condition. The five of them exchanged glances, but none of them opened their mouths, even when Akashi walked over to Kuroko's bed, they could only look at him sadly.

Akashi leaned his face closer to Kuroko's as he wrapped his hand around his, he whispered softly, "Wake up soon and I'll fulfill my promise."

Probably, in his deep sleep, Kuroko could hear Akashi's voice, because he held Akashi's hand tighter.

 **/**

"We're already in our last year, _ssu._ " Kise whined as he slumped on the couch, watching Akashi and Midorima playing _shogi_ uninterestedly; it was too hard for him to understand, after all.

Aomine grabbed a mouthful of chips before he responded, "Yep, more stress, more study," he flipped open another gravure magazine, "Maybe I have to buy tons of Mai- _chan's_ album to make me feel better."

"Pervert!"

They were hanging out at Midorima's place on a sunny afternoon, thanks to the meeting their teachers had to attend so that the classes ended early. And, instead of going home, they decided to go to Midorima's place, much to the green head's liking.

It was two weeks after they'd been entitled as the third year, and it was, too, five months since Kuroko went to sleep and hadn't woken up yet. Occasionally, they'd visit Kuroko, but it was because Akashi insisted on going to the hospital where Kuroko was admitted to. Since the four of them had already gone through it already, they knew Kuroko wouldn't wake up if his episodes hadn't ended yet, but it was Akashi's first time to be in that situation that he was afraid that Kuroko wouldn't wake up again.

"Stop whining and just enjoy it." Midorima scoffed, pushing up his glasses.

"But, I can't, Midorima _cchi_!" Kise whined again, loudly, "I'm not you or Akashi _cchi_ who have good grades! What if I didn't get accepted into the university I want to go?!"

Akashi shook his head in amusement, "Then just study even harder, Kise."

"You don't understand, Akashi _cchi_! You're not me or Aomine _cchi—_ "

"OI!"

"What are you bickering about, you two?"

They froze at the familiar voice and quickly, their heads turned to the source of the voice and their eyes widened when they saw Kuroko looking at them blankly. Without even thinking, Kise, Aomine, Murasakibara, and even the _tsundere_ Midorima ran toward Kuroko and hugged him tightly.

"Hey!"

Akashi, couldn't believe that Kuroko was standing a meter away from him, pinched his cheek lightly. _Am I_ _dreaming?_

But, when he heard Kuroko's voice asking his friends to let go of him, Akashi quickly got up and pushed them away from him, revealing a frowning Kuroko while stroking his reddened arms because they hugged him too tightly.

"Tetsuya has already woken up since three days ago, but we deliberately hid him for you all, as we wanted to give him as the present for becoming seniors already." Kuroko's father explained, while his mother smiled widely.

The five of them nodded, and Kuroko smiled.

"I don't have any idea that you all are already eighteen, and are in your last year again. If _Okaasan_ and _Otousan_ haven't told me about everything that happened when I was sleeping, I might not recognize you all at all." Kuroko said, his smile widened slightly.

Akashi's body was frozen.

They, excluding Akashi, knew that it was coming. The four of them had already been through it several times. Sleeping for the whole five months was causing a big impact.

 _Were the memories when he was awake two months before_ _erased?_ Akashi balled his fists.

"Um, do you all bring your new friend here today?" Kuroko looked straight at Akashi, and the latter flinched slightly at the question he never wanted to hear from Kuroko. "Hello, I'm Kuroko Tetsuya. Pleased to meet you."

"Kuroko _cchi_! You don't remember Akashi _cchi_?!" Kise shrieked.

"No." Kuroko was confused, "Should I?"

The others in the room looked at Akashi worriedly.

"Hello, Kuroko," Akashi, trying his best to not leak out his true emotions, held out his hand to Kuroko, "My name is Akashi Seijuurou. I'm in the same age as yours, although I'm a _senpai_ for you because just like your childhood friends, I'm also already in my third year of high school." then, he smiled softly, "I am the one who still has a promise to take you to Kyoto, my hometown."

Kuroko raised an eyebrow in confusion, but a smile quickly crept on to his face as he took Akashi's outstretched hand.

"Keep your promise."

 **/**

 **a/n:** such a long and boring chapter ;-; thank you very much for keeping up for this fic and the reviews, favs, and follows! I really appreciated them! ^o^ and again, I'm sorry for the grammatical errors because English isn't my first language ;;;;;; this fic is inspired by my friend's friend who's suffering from this disease, I don't really know about the disease itself so I wrote what my friend told me about their symptoms. thank you for reading!

 **Special thanks to** _Cheshire ShiroNeko, Rinfantasy, shirotani, simsimchocolatte, Danny Joey Ketail, Kuroko-SenPaille, ShinseiShinwa, Chisato Morohiko, BlueSkyBlue, OtakuBroMelody, and Guest_! Have I answered your confusion yet? ^o^


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